


The Answer to That, Strippers

by gioviale



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Dry Humping, First Meetings, Just keeping it real in case you were expecting it, M/M, No Sex, No Smut, PWP without Porn, Pandemonium Club (Shadowhunter Chronicles)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:26:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9055240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gioviale/pseuds/gioviale
Summary: You’re so pretty. Alec realised he must have said that out loud when Magnus looked back at him with unadorned surprise. “Oh no, please don’t be offended, I just meant to say you’re gorgeous and,” Alec squeezed his eyes shut with a groan, hand coming up to cover his face. Alexander Gideon Lightwood, how much more embarrassing can you get in front of this wonderful man who so kindly offered a drink and –“…a lap dance?”Alec blinked. And blinked again. “I must have heard wrong, I seem to have heard –”“Yes, that’s what I said, what do you think about getting a lap dance? Oh, free of charge, of course.”-Or the Stripper/Non-Stripper AU PWP without actual porn nobody asked for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the outline for this with smut planned but I chickened out with feelings instead *shrugs* and this monstrosity appeared. Non-betaed. Hope you like it! And I love quoting from the show (as seen from the title), so expect lots of that. As usual, hit me up on malecisright on Tumblr, I'm lonely there. :(

“Big bro, come on, we’re going to be late! I told Clary we’ll be there at nine.”

“You can always leave without me, you know,” Alec scrubbed his face with his palm as he sat on the edge of his bed, scrolling through his phone, clearly not making a move to leave and rebuked, “Remind me why we’re doing this again?”

Isabelle stalked into Alec’s room and rolled her eyes when she caught sight of her brother. She crossed her arms and let out a dramatic sigh as she leaned against the doorframe, “Alec, you promised. I’m sure it’ll be fun!”

Alec lifted his head with his eyebrows scrunched, “I agreed to a night out with Jace, Clary and Simon, not to a strip club!” He looked back to his phone and remarked, “Besides, we seem to understand the word fun a little too differently.”

-

When Isabelle sat with him on the couch last Saturday night and talked him into hanging out with their friends, something about her twinkling eyes and manicured expression was off. He agreed anyway; it had been months since Jace moved across town, citing his new job as a fitness trainer as a reason for that but they all knew it was just an excuse for him to be closer to Clary, who was in her final year as a student in the Brooklyn Academy of Arts and living on campus. Alec had the meetup shelved to the back of his mind until he received a call as he was working through paperwork at the firm.

“Hey Alec, how are you doing? I heard from Izzy about how you nailed your first case, wish I could have been there!”

Alec gave a quiet smile as the familiar voice rang through the receiver, “Hey Jace, it’s busy here, as usual. How’s it over on your end?”

“Work’s pretty rough, but nothing I can’t handle. Oh yeah, speaking of which, let Izzy know I might be late tomorrow, I’ll meet you guys straight at the club, I’ve got some extra training to – ”

“Wait, what club?”

A pause. “I guess Izzy didn’t tell you, huh. Figures. I was surprised you agreed so easily.”

-

So apparently, Simon had brought up the topic of strippers the other day over lunch with the gang minus Alec, who was busy getting his client’s files ready for his first case as a lawyer, and they agreed to Clary’s suggestion that they visit a strip club owned by a friend of hers in Brooklyn. Which led to a reluctant Alec being dragged out of the house after succumbing to the pleading eyes of his younger sister.

They arrived in front of a standalone building with a large flashing neon sign that read “Pandemonium”. There was already a line forming at the entrance and Isabelle tugged on Alec’s arm as she caught Clary’s and Simon’s eyes in the queue. Isabelle greeted them with tight hugs while Alec stood off to the side, shifting uncomfortably as he looked around.

“Jace called, he’s on his way,” Clary said, looking towards Alec, hoping the news would make him relax. Alec nodded and squeezed a tight smile at Clary, who gave a generous grin in return.

“So, who’s this friend of yours who owns this place?”

“Oh, he’s a family friend. My mum introduced him to me at her gallery opening; he’s absolutely wonderful…” Clary trailed off as they went through the ID check and entered the club.

Alec was greeted by the low thrum of bass playing over the stereo and was pleasantly surprised by the mellow tune, far from the loud, distasteful club music he had expected. There was a small crowd, generating a low buzz as they talked and laughed. The interior of the club looked bigger than it appeared from the outside, which could be attributed to the full-length mirrors that replaced the usual walls. There was a large T shaped stage which Alec would have mistaken for a runway if not for the metal poles evenly spaced across the stage that extended from the ceiling. He looked around and noticed a few smaller platforms with similar poles scattered across the floor and a line of booths towards the back of the club. If nothing, at least Alec appreciated the décor of the club – it was elegant and classy, spotlights bouncing off crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. Alec would almost say it was comfortable and as far as he remembered, he had never felt this way at a club.

Clary walked them over to the currently vacant bar, where she greeted the bartender with a casual smile, “Hi Elias, how have you been? Where’s Raj?”

“Hey Clary! Haven’t seen you in a while, must be busy at school, huh. Everything’s great, Raj’s just around the back taking a break before the show starts and the crowd pours in,” Elias replied as he cleaned the cocktail glass in his hands with experienced fingers. Alec relaxed slightly as Clary and Elias lapsed into an easy conversation and figured that Clary must have come here often enough to know her way around.

“Hey babe, I’m back. Need me to take over?” A smooth voice had Alec turning his attention back to the bar, where another bartender had his hand around Elias’ waist. Elias shook his head and leaned slightly into the man’s touch and Alec schooled his expression to contain his surprise at the open display of affection. The man, Raj, he presumed from Clary and Elias’ previous exchange, looked over and his eyes widened with recognition as he saw Clary.

“Clary! What a surprise! You picked the right day to visit, Raphael is dancing today. Oh, and Magnus is here too, he’s probably somewhere at the back…” Raj trailed off as he tiptoed, leaning on Elias’ shoulder as he looked over the crowd. Alec couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the easy intimacy flowing between the two men. He sensed Isabelle’s concerned gaze and returned with a quiet smile.

Alec had come out to his family and friends barely a year ago, when he was promptly chased out by his fuming parents, who went on about how he was a disgrace to the family and eventually fired him from their law firm as well, much to Isabelle’s displeasure. She grabbed Alec’s hand and walked out of their childhood home with luggage in tow, hot tears in her eyes as she reassured Alec that they will do just fine on their own. Alec gritted his teeth and threw himself into work as an associate at a young law firm at the edge of New York City, determined to make it work for them both. He tried as best as he could to hide his emotions, but he was sure Isabelle saw his fatigue, frustration and worst of all, loneliness.

Which was why when Isabelle’s hands reached over to his, he grabbed them gently, looking at her with soft and thankful eyes, knowing that part of why she insisted on him being here tonight was because she cared for him and wanted him in a place where he could be comfortable in his own skin. However, the tender moment was broken when he heard Simon cursing from where he was seated behind Isabelle and followed his gaze to a young man cladded in a dark blazer jacket who was walking towards them with knitted eyebrows. As he got closer, Alec noticed that he was not wearing a shirt underneath the blazer and looked quickly over to Simon, who visibly swallowed as he took in the bare skin that peeked from the neckline of the jacket. Simon’s eyes roved across the clearly well-built man, who was now staring back at Simon with a frown. Alec watched the silent exchange which lasted for two more seconds before the man stepped up to the bar, next to Simon and signalled to Elias and Raj. Elias caught his eye and nodded in understanding while reaching for the bottles on the shelves behind and pouring a shot. The moment he placed the shot glass on the counter, the man swiped and downed it, before returning the glass with a low “thanks” and stalking off towards the back of the club.

At their confused expressions, Elias spoke up, “That was Raphael, not much of a talker but the way his body moves,” he gave a low whistle before continuing, “He’s one of our best dancers.”

“Hey man, getting the party started already?” Alec tensed when he felt a hand on his shoulders but relaxed immediately upon hearing the familiar voice and reached up for a hug. Jace moved to give Clary a peck on the cheek and she shifted so he could sit next to Alec, giving a quick glance and smile at him.

“Hey guys, how have you been? So, what did I miss? You were talking about that guy walking towards the stage? I don’t think I’ve seen him before.” Jace said as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position before looking between Elias and Raj.

“Hey Jace, good to see you. Elias was just lowkey ogling at one of our hottest dancers, no biggie,” Raj smirked playfully as Elias bumped their shoulders together and winked in apology.

“Is he that good?”

Raj looked thoughtful for a moment and shrugged, “Yeah, probably second to the best.”

“And the best would be…?”

Alec was following the conversation between Jace and Raj, curiosity piqued, when a smooth, velvet voice rang out from behind.

“Biscuit!”

“Magnus!” Clary leaped off her seat and ran into a tight hug with this man called Magnus and when they pulled apart –

Alec inhaled sharply, his eyes widening at the sight of the beautiful man, eyes lined skilfully in kohl and – _is that glitter in his hair?_ Alec released the breath he was unconsciously holding in and let his eyes travel up and down Magnus’ body. He was clad in a black silk dress shirt, well-fitted with buttons opened down midway revealing his chest ( _very nice chest_ , Alec’s mind supplied), paired with tight electric blue jeans, which Alec swear would look ridiculous on anyone but the gorgeous man in front of him. Magnus and Clary were talking but the sound was nothing but a low buzz to Alec as he heard only his own heartbeat ringing in his ears.

Thankfully, he had the decency to look up when Magnus turned to survey the rest of them.

“I see you’ve brought your friends,” Magnus smiled as he tilted his head in greeting, only to falter slightly as he caught eye contact with Alec. Alec panicked – did Magnus catch him staring, _oh god this is embarrassing, I need to say something_ –

“And who are you, pretty boy?”

Alec assumed he had moved on to Jace and was about to sigh in relief when he realised Magnus’ eyes were still on him. He stole a quick glance at Jace, who had a weird expression on his face, somewhere in between amused and insulted, before blinking and realising that Magnus was still waiting for an answer.

“Alec, erm, Alec Lightwood,” Alec blurted out, feeling heat tint his cheeks as Magnus’ eyes travelled over his lanky frame. His eyes turned to Isabelle who quickly picked up his cue and stood, bringing Magnus’ attention to her. Alec took a deep breath as Isabelle introduced herself and complimented Magnus’ outfit and makeup.

“I like her already,” Magnus said with a quiet laughter, “And this must be Jace, whom I’ve heard so much about.”

Alec felt Jace shift uncomfortably in his seat and looked up to see Magnus staring at his brother with narrowed eyes. Clary slapped Magnus’ arm playfully and chastised him with her eyes. Magnus just shimmied his shoulders and continued his playful banter with Clary. Now that Magnus’ attention was no longer on them, Isabelle went back to talking with Simon and Jace picked up his conversation with Elias and Raj where they left off. Just as Clary slid back into her seat to join in the conversation, Alec felt a movement near him and turned around, shocked to see Magnus so close to him.

“Well, so I heard that it’s your first time here. Maybe we could get a drink together or something. I’ll be on the second level, just come up by the back, say, when you feel like taking a break. I’ll be waiting,” Magnus pointed to the balcony and sauntered off, not before giving Alec a wink. Alec stared at Magnus’ back (or his ass, to be more specific) as he disappeared into the crowd that had gathered at the front of the stage.

The lights promptly dimmed as the crowd howled, attention turned towards the spotlight on the main stage, where an emcee appeared to introduce the line-up for the night. Alec was in a daze, too lost in Magnus’ words, until Isabelle placed a comforting hand on his arm.

“You all right?”

“Yeah, just…distracted,” Alec cleared his throat and tipped his chin towards the stage, directing Isabelle’s attention back to the dancers that have appeared on the stage. He refocused, refusing to let Magnus’ words eat at him. Five men stepped forward, wearing identical suits and he heard Simon gasp audibly when he noticed Raphael standing right in the centre, lips shaped in a devious smirk and eyes sparkling. Isabelle playfully hit his shoulder and Simon sputtered as he placed his drink – _wait, since when had they ordered drinks?_ – on the counter.

A heavy beat thrummed through the club and the five men walked forward, freezing into poses on alternate beats, the flashing spotlights creating shapely silhouettes that stood stark against the white curtains. As the main melody came on the men spread themselves evenly across the stage, keeping in time with the snare drum in the background and with a sudden thump, dropped on their knees and pulled open their blazers to reveal…bare skin. The crowd went wild as they rolled their toned torsos in time with the rhythm, keeping in perfect synchronisation as they gyrated their hips, thrusting them in mid-air and Alec felt his throat go dry as he saw Raphael remove his jacket, slinging it over his left shoulder, and slither towards the front of the T shaped stage on his hands and knees, torso barely touching the ground. Even from his position at the bar he could see sweat gleaming off his fair skin and face twisted in a mix of concentration and seduction, a far cry from the expressionless lad getting a drink from the bar.

Alec tore his eyes away from Raphael and looked back towards the bar and found Raj leaning on Elias’ shoulder as they watched the performance from where they stood. Raj caught Alec’s eyes and lifted his hands to form an imaginary cup and brought it near to his mouth. Alec nodded thankfully and Raj pushed himself off slightly to take his order.

“What would you recommend?”

“Well, depends on how buzzed you wanna get.”

“Something light then, a beer, perhaps?”

“Coming right up.”

Raj returned with a full mug and placed it on the counter, before slipping back in place next to Elias. Alec smiled privately as he picked up the mug and looked around. With everyone’s attention on the stage, Alec felt like he could finally catch a breath and observe his surroundings, a behaviour he comfortably slipped into out of habit. Jace and Clary were huddled slightly closer together, Clary occasionally pointing out someone she recognised; Isabelle had leaped off her seat a few minutes ago, moving towards one of the small platforms near them where she was grooving along to the long-haired dancer occupying the platform; Simon was frozen in his seat, his mouth gaping and Alec didn’t even need to guess where his eyes were fixed on. A loud whistle came from the stage – Raphael, he assumed – and before he knew it, a jacket landed in Simon’s lap and Alec looked up just in time to see Raphael blow a kiss and winked at Simon, whose cheeks blazed at the blatant flirtation.

Alec grabbed his phone and took a quick picture of Simon holding up the blazer, eyes darting between it and Raphael, who had now moved to grind against the metal pole – _bless you, Simon_ – and sent it to the group. As he pocketed his phone and scanned the crowd, he caught a glimpse of spiky black hair and suddenly all that filled his mind was Magnus’ invitation. After slight hesitation, Alec finished off his beer, slid off his bar stool and walked towards the back of the club.

Alec felt his body moving on its own; he was pretty sure he wasn’t drunk on alcohol but perhaps he was a little drunk on the atmosphere. Maybe Isabelle had been right, it had been way too long since he had a chance to, have fun, so to speak. To find himself in an environment where everyone shed their usual masks and façade, to be able to become someone else just for one night, without all his responsibilities, Alec found himself absolutely seduced by the idea of it.

That’s what brought him all the way to the second floor, where he found himself face to face with two gangly bouncers in front of a narrow hallway, flanked by booths with deep burgundy curtains. _Oh-oh, here’s where the fun ends._ As one of the bouncers approached him, he stepped back slightly, eyes peeking down the hallway.

“I’m looking for…Magnus. I-I’m Alec.”

The bouncer sized him up and walked towards the third booth on the right and slipped past the curtain. Not before long, the bouncer reappeared and gave a curt nod to Alec before stepping aside so he could enter. Alec took a deep breath as he walked towards the booth and peeled the curtain open. What greeted him was a cosy circular booth with deep red plush sofa that looked absolutely inviting and – oh, and Magnus. Who was casually sitting and leaning his chin on an arm draped over the balcony, holding a glass in his right hand. Alec shifted in his place, unsure of what he was supposed to do and before he could discreetly clear his throat to get Magnus’ attention, Magnus turned around slowly, placing the glass on the marble table before crossing his legs and slinging his arms across the top of the sofa. Alec had to fist his hands to physically stop himself from grabbing his phone to take a photo because, god, this man was an angel. Or a devil, because the way he smirked knowingly at Alec warranted a trip to hell and back.

“Hi Alexander, I see you’ve taken me up on my offer. Have a seat,” Magnus patted the space next to him and Alec felt a current surge through his body as he heard his name roll off Magnus’ tongue. He moved awkwardly towards Magnus and sat down, leaving a respectable gap between them. Alec saw Magnus’ eyes float towards the sofa in between them and inhaled sharply at the breathless chuckle that escaped his lips.

“Would you like a drink? I don’t want to boast but I mix a pretty good cocktail. Besides, I hate drinking alone.”

Alec couldn’t trust his voice so he nodded his head and Magnus stood up in one swift movement and disappeared past the curtain in a few strides. Alec shifted slightly over to where Magnus was seated and looked over the balcony. He scanned the crowd when he saw his friends and siblings back at the bar, the long-haired man Isabelle was dancing with taking his seat next to her. He turned his attention back towards the closed curtains and shifted to where he was seated earlier as he heard footsteps getting louder, when the curtain opened and Magnus appeared with a cocktail glass. Alec felt their fingers brush as Magnus handed him the glass and willed the blush that was threatening to spread over his cheeks to die.

Thankfully, Magnus was distracted with getting back to his seat – _wait, were they sitting this close to each other earlier on_ – and was now picking up his own glass and holding it up towards Alec’s for a toast.

“To us,” Magnus said, before bringing his glass to his lips with a smirk.

Alec took a sip from his own cup and winced as the strong alcohol hit his tongue, a citrus flavour lingering as the smooth liquid glided down his throat effortlessly. Magnus was right, he did make a mean drink.

“Why did you ask me here?” Alec asked, opting to fill in the silence.

Magnus scrunched his eyebrows and reached for his ear cuff with his fingers. Now that he was sitting close enough, Alec was momentarily distracted by Magnus’ hand, an array of rings across his knuckles, leading to long, elegant fingers and where Magnus was fiddling with his ear cuff, manicured fingernails painted a dark midnight blue.

“I wanted to see you.”

Alec snapped up at Magnus’ answer and stared straight into his hazel-brown eyes. As the club lights flickered and spun, catching on the golden chandelier that hung above then, he caught glimmers of gold flakes in Magnus’ eyes, and he suddenly longed to stare at Magnus’ eyes forever – _wait, what am I doing?_ He blinked to see an amused expression tugging at Magnus’ lips and looked away to take another sip of his drink.

“I-I hope you’re enjoying what you see, because I sure do. I mean, seeing you, of course,” Alec stammered out, regretting it the moment the words left his mouth and he was about to take back what he said when a peal of laughter broke out and Alec was stunned into silence; first by the melodious ring of Magnus’ laughter, then by Magnus’ neck as he threw his head back.

 _You’re so pretty._ Alec realised he must have said that out loud when Magnus looked back at him with unadorned surprise.

“Oh no, please don’t be offended, I just meant to say you’re gorgeous and,” Alec squeezed his eyes shut with a groan, hand coming up to cover his face. _Alexander Gideon Lightwood, how much more embarrassing can you get in front of this wonderful man who so kindly offered a drink and –_

“…a lap dance?”

Alec blinked. And blinked again.

“I must have heard wrong, I seem to have heard –”

“Yes, that’s what I said, what do you think about getting a lap dance? Oh, free of charge, of course.”

Alec felt his mouth open and close like a gaping goldfish, before he realised he needed to get out of here, fast.

“I, er, I…I’ve got to go. My friends are waiting and um, yeah,” _very eloquent, Lightwood. Defence lawyer, my foot._

Alec moved to stand but before he could, Magnus placed a warm hand over his, and looked tenderly into his eyes.

“I don’t want to scare you, my dear. Perhaps we could chat a little, get to know each other, first,” Magnus said with a light tone, while brushing his fingers over Alec’s knuckles. Alec looked down at their joint hands and felt his heart lurch; he really wanted to get to know Magnus, but the last word implied that they were going to go back to whatever they were talking about before, eventually. Alec ran through the options in his mind and after concluding that there would be no harm in staying just a little longer, he nodded, relaxing into the soft cushion.

Magnus seemed pleased at Alec’s decision, as he brought his right leg up, folding it under his left as he turned his body to face Alec completely, hand remaining on Alec’s. He leaned slightly forward and the way Magnus spread his limbs across the sofa reminded Alec of a graceful feline.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

“Um, well, you’ve met my siblings; Izzy, my younger sister and Jace, our adopted brother. I’m a criminal defence lawyer…”

“Wait a minute, you don’t happen to be working at Lightwood & Co., do you?”

Alec flinched unconsciously and shook his head.

“Well, I was. Until I came out and my parents decided they were better off without a gay son damaging their perfectly crafted image,” Alec spat out unwittingly, looking up to expect pity in Magnus’ eyes but was surprised to see only understanding.

“I understand. I was born in Indonesia and to cut the long story short, my parents weren’t exactly ecstatic about having an openly bisexual son either. So, I moved out on my own and started dancing while studying but opportunities were limited. A friend of mine had connections to a strip club in New York and I jumped at the chance; I’ve never looked back since,” Magnus recounted with a flippant tone, dismissing his past as though it didn’t matter to him, but Alec could sense the undercurrent beneath Magnus’ words. Alec felt a sense of admiration seeing how humble Magnus was when it came to himself. Alec didn’t know how, but he knew that Magnus was meant for great things. That the fact that he rose above his circumstances made him the man he was today, confident in his own skin and not afraid to show it. In a way, he was almost the exact opposite of Alec.

Alec was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, raised by a family of lawyers and had great expectations laid down on him as a firstborn. He spent the first twenty years of his life following the path laid out by his parents, only to be pushed away mercilessly when they found out his sexuality. He knew that he wasn’t to blame yet he could never erase the guilt that ate at him from inside when saw Isabelle struggle with a part-time job just so she could finish her last year in college without their parents’ help. The tough part was over, but when he thought of Magnus and how he had to endure that similar pain alone through his growing years, Alec’s respect for Magnus ballooned and it must have translated in his face, because a beautiful genuine smile blossomed across Magnus’ face, and Alec would do anything to keep that expression on his face forever.

Magnus’ hand slid up his arm, brushing over the cotton sleeve of his white dress shirt and he shivered, instinctively reaching for his drink, downing it in one go.

“You’re a sweet man, Alexander,” Magnus purred, emphasising on Alec’s name like he was aware of the effect it had on him, “But I envisioned tonight to be a bit more…fun. Will you take me up on my proposal now? I’ve dropped a message to Clary to let her know that you’re with me.”

Magnus was giving Alec no reason to refuse him, so he steeled his nerves, reached out for Magnus’ half-filled glass and gulped the liquid down, leaving a burning sensation down his throat, before mumbling, “Go for it.”

Magnus seemed a little taken aback by Alec’s forwardness but he recovered quickly, standing up to draw the curtains at the balcony. The booth was now dim, lit only by the exquisite chandelier. The music playing in the main hall wafted through the air, creating a slow beat to which Magnus started swaying his hips, _oh god, his hips_. During Alec’s stupor, Magnus must have shifted the table away, because there would have been no other way that Magnus could be standing right in front of him, where the table once was. Magnus chuckled at his confused look and leaned down to plant his face in front of Alec’s, noses almost touching, hands balanced lightly on Alec’s knees. He could hear their breaths over the soft tune and for a moment he panicked and wondered if Magnus could hear the crazy thumping of his heart too. He must have unconsciously placed his left hand over where his heart was, because Magnus’ eyes drifted to it, when he tilted his head and smiled, and _by the angels, he is perfect._

“Do I make you nervous, Alexander?” Magnus voice came barely as a whisper, breath ghosting across Alec’s face, making him realise how close Magnus was, standing between Alec’s spread legs.

Alec’s eyes followed as Magnus reached for his hand and placed it over his chest instead. Alec felt a heat spread over his body, as his fingers came into contact with solid pecs.

“In case you wanted to know, you make me nervous too,” Magnus gave a quiet laugh and closed his eyes, taking in the moment.

Alec had to lock his arms just so he didn’t lurch forward and pull Magnus into his lap because he was just too precious. Magnus pulled away slowly, all while bringing Alec’s hand up to his lip, giving a light peck on the back of his hand, thumb brushing his knuckles like before, when he was reassuring Alec. At this point, Alec was thanking the gods fervently for the dim lighting because he was sure there would be an angry flush all the way up his neck, judging by how hot his skin felt.

Looking satisfied with the reaction he was getting, Magnus slid his hands over to Alec’s shoulders and he felt himself leaning back into the sofa. Alec felt Magnus’ hands glide down his chest, lingering over his knees before pushing them gently to spread his legs further apart. Alec’s breath hitched as Magnus knelt on the sofa, taking over the place his legs once were and brought his hands to cup Alec’s cheeks, moving close enough that Alec was looking directly into the depths of Magnus’ eyes and felt his hot breath on his lips.

“One rule, no touching.”

At that, Magnus slipped off the sofa on the floor in one smooth motion. Alec watched him as he closed his eyes, probably to concentrate on the soft music, and when he opened them, Alec saw the gold chandelier reflecting off his iris, dangerous eyes shining with gold flakes as Magnus tilted his head towards the ceiling, body rolling expertly to the slow beat in the background. Magnus let his hand drag over his lithe body, taking his time to let it travel from his neck, down his chest, past his navel, before he pressed down on his belt buckle and rolled his hips forward in smooth waves. Alec felt blood rushing towards his crotch, as he eyed Magnus’ provocative moves hungrily.

In one quick slide, Magnus straddled Alec’s lap, balancing on his knees, the sudden movement making Alec recoil and sink into the sofa. Magnus took advantage of the shift and pulled himself closer to Alec, planting his knees on either side of his hips. Alec clenched his fists hard to keep from grabbing Magnus by his hips, fingernails creating small crescents on his palms. Magnus had his nimble fingers sliding down to the remaining buttons on his dress shirt and Alec held his breath as he watched Magnus undo them and untucked the shirt such that the strip of torso from his chest all the way to his navel was now exposed. Alec stared openly at the toned abdomen and watched the muscles shift with Magnus’ slight movement. He swallowed as he felt his jeans get tighter by the minute and he tried to subtle shift his hip towards the sofa in case Magnus caught on, only to be stopped by hands placed firmly on his hips, making him stop his movement entirely. He looked up at Magnus like a deer caught in headlights and with that, Magnus held his eye contact with an innocent smile and, _oh fuck_ –

Magnus ground their hips together and the sensation made Alec throw his head back against the soft cushion and groaned loudly, feeling the friction of their jeans against each other. Alec lifted his hands in a bid to cover his face when Magnus roved his hands along the sides of Alec’s body and clasped their hands together, fingers intertwining and brought them back down to Alec’s sides.

“Don’t cover your face, I want to see you. I want to see how good I’m making you feel, don’t take away that pleasure from me. Alexander, please,” Magnus’ voice was hoarser and breathier than before, sending tingles down Alec’s spine and more blood to his nether region. Alec could feel Magnus was hard too and he shivered in anticipation when he felt Magnus’ cock brush his as he rolled his body in torturously slow waves. Alec’s eyes attached themselves to the beads of perspiration that were beginning to appear across Magnus’ neck. He followed as the droplets gather into one and glide past the dip of Magnus’ clavicle and down his breastbone, leaving a glistening, wet trail and it took Alec all his strength to resist licking it off. Magnus slowly shimmied his shoulders, pulling his fingers loose from Alec’s and letting them drag the fabric of his shirt across his collarbones and over his shoulders, before placing his arms on Alec’s. The smooth shirt hung loosely off his shoulders and ruffled with every small movement that Magnus was making, exposing his muscular biceps bit by torturous bit and Alec moaned at the sight of Magnus on display, a painting of temptation in front him. Magnus’ head was thrown back slightly, exposing his neck, now gleaming with a layer of perspiration, his face twisted in concentration and teeth worrying at his lower lip. Alec saw that he was struggling to keep a constant rhythm as he bounced in Alec’s lap, keeping their hips grinding on each other and he thought, in his daze, that perhaps he was affecting Magnus more than he knew. His hands reached out to tug at Magnus’ shirt but Magnus leapt off his lap in an instant, spinning around gracefully and giving Alec a full view of his back as he let his shirt drop to the carpeted floor.

“Remember what I said, no touching,” Magnus was panting slightly but he managed to throw a flirtatious wink over his shoulder and Alec let out a little grumble but slowly lowered his arms back to his sides as he let his eyes devour Magnus’ smooth and muscular back, muscles rippling as he reached a hand up to sweep long fingers through his hair. Alec swallowed as he dropped his gaze to Magnus’ ass, the tight fabric of the electric blue jeans stretching deliciously across his behind, before he noticed that Magnus was slowly pushing his pants down, the band of his boxers revealing itself as he smoothed his hand over the curve of his ass while he brought his pants down to his ankles before stepping out of them. Magnus spun around once more and god, he was so beautiful.

Slightly mused hair, lust-blown eyes, toned chest, defined abdominal muscles and tight red boxers that led to muscular thighs and slim calves. Magnus was the embodiment of passion, sin and lust, and he seemed to know it, as he slinked to his knees in front of Alec and licked his lips as he placed his hands on Alec’s knees, looking up with a seductive smirk.

“Enjoying the view?”

Alec nodded, opting for honesty, and that appeared to be the right answer as Magnus slid his hands up Alec’s thigh and leaned forward with a satisfied smile. Magnus shivered slightly as his hands got near to Alec’s crotch and –

“Are you cold?”

Magnus looked stunned as his hands froze just shy of Alec’s zipper and his silvery laughter rang through the booth, making Alec’s heart tighten and it was a sensation he had never felt in his entire life and Alec mused at how frightening it was that someone could have such a hold over him within the first hour of meeting him. Alec furrowed his brows, wondering if he said something wrong and was about to slap his hands over his face in embarrassment again before he felt Magnus’ hand slip into his to hold him down.

“You never fail to amaze me, Alexander. I am inches away from your cock and all you care about is whether I’m cold. Should I be insulted?”

“No, it’s just…I-I was just worried, the air conditioning is pretty strong and you, you seem to be perspiring quite a bit s-so I was…”

“My dear pumpkin, I was just teasing. You’re a sweet man and I love that. But worry not, I’ve had enough experience to not let the cold bother me.” Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand in reassurance and made to continue his ministrations, bringing nimble fingers to unbutton Alec’s jeans. Despite the liquor burning his stomach and clouding his brains, he was getting flustered at the progress of the night and he thought of a response.

“Do you give lapdances often?” As soon as the question left Alec’s mouth he regretted it. There were too much feelings revealed in that one question; hurt, jealousy and possessiveness, all of which were too serious and inappropriate when it came to a stripper at a club looking for a fun night. But Magnus was exceptionally kind as he explained, “I’m a little out of practice but I used to. I was pretty well sought-after so I had the luxury of choosing my clients.”

Alec probably still looked a little distraught, prompting Magnus to add, “But you’re the first one I’ve given one free of charge to.”

Alec’s breath stuttered at that as he tried to understand the implications behind that sentence but Magnus was tugging at his pants and he lifted himself off the sofa to allow him to bring his pants down to mid-calf, where his boots ended. All thoughts flew out of his mind as Magnus sat himself on his now-bare thighs, feeling heated skin against his. Alec felt Magnus’ fingers run through his hair, bringing their faces so close that Alec could see Magnus’ long lashes fanning across his slightly tinted cheeks when he blinked. Alec’s heart nearly stopped as he felt a soft brush across his lips as Magnus gave him a chaste kiss. At that moment, everything felt right. What an irony it was for him, to have been searching for so long all this while, to only find it in a strip club, Izzy was going to have a hell of a time teasing him for this. Alec reached for Magnus’ hands, which were now busying themselves with the buttons on his shirt. He clasped them and brought them down to his sides. Alec almost laughed at how adorably confused Magnus looked, but instead, he brought his hands up to cup Magnus’ cheeks before leaning in for another kiss, this time, more than a peck.

Alec let their lips slide against one another, exploring the plethora of ways their mouths could fit together. It was slow and sweet, keeping in time with the slow music that they could hear again, now that they were sitting in silence, save for the quiet breaths they were taking and the low, wet sounds their lips were making as they tasted each other. Alec licked experimentally at Magnus’ lower lip, teasing a soft whimper from Magnus before he parted his lips and their tongues met with hot breaths. Alec still had his left hand on Magnus’ cheek, while his right hand travelled down to Magnus’ bare arm, where he could feel his muscles tense as Magnus brought his hands up and down Alec’s sides, sometimes stopping to draw circles at Alec’s hips.

Alec didn’t know how long they had been kissing for, but when Magnus shifted forward slightly, their erections brushed against each other and they let out a low moan before separating from each other, both panting slightly from the heated kiss.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Magnus coughed as he turned away to shield his flushed face and Alec swooned at how delectable he was.

“I, er, I wanted to slow things down,” Alec started and when he saw Magnus’ face falling, he added quickly, “I needed to ask you…if you will go out with me. On a date, I mean. I…want to see you again.”

Alec watched as Magnus’ expressions changed, from shock, to confusion, to realisation and finally settling on an amused smile as he replied, “I’d love that.”

Alec felt a flood of relief as he saw that Magnus reflected the sentiments that he felt tonight, that there was a connection and a potential for something more. Alec looked up into Magnus’ eyes and leaned in for a peck on his cheek, before letting a genuine smile flood his face. Magnus’ breath hitch slightly before he returned with an equally wide grin.

“Magnus, you there? I’m done for the night and I’m leaving. Don’t call me till tomorrow afternoon,” a voice from outside the curtain broke the moment. Magnus’ eyes flashed to his watch before shouting back, amusement in his tone, “You never leave this early, Raphael. Why, did somebody catch your eye?”

“Shut up. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on in there. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Raphael sneered and Alec felt a heat travel up his neck before realising his hands were now placed on Magnus’ very bare thighs and snapped them back like they were burnt.

“We should…I-I should go, my friends are probably waiting – ”

“Of course, we should probably, join the party,” Magnus winked before pushing himself off and stepping towards his pile of clothes lying on the floor. Alec stared appreciatively as Magnus bent over to pick his shirt, sliding them on his shoulders before stepping into his pants and pulling them up. Alec tried to smooth his shirt in vain and sighed as he stood to zip up his pants; he was sure as hell going to be teased by his friends just as Raphael did. While he tidied his hair, Magnus wandered over to him with a card between his fingers and reached over to place it in the back pocket of his jeans, patting it twice before sliding his hands away.

“Call me. I’ll be waiting on that invitation,” Magnus whispered near his ears, still bent over, and his lips slid across Alec’s neck as he stepped away. He gave Alec a quick smile before sliding back onto the couch, nothing betraying their actions for the past hour except messier hair, which still looked unfairly good, and kiss-swollen lips. It took Alec all he could not to step right back to kiss Magnus and he cleared his throat, blurted out a “see you soon” and whipped around towards the curtains not before seeing Magnus blow a kiss at him. This beautiful man was going to be the death of him.

As he walked towards the bar where his friends were seated, he could see their excitement radiating as they stared at him like a pack of thirsty wolves. He muttered a curse and ran a hand through his hair before sitting down in the empty seat, where Simon was seated…wait, where was he? Before he could ask, a flash of black and red hair surrounded him.

“Where were you, big bro?”

“Spill, Alec!”

Alec groaned and was almost thankful for the mug of beer that was slid in front of him, until he looked up and saw a teasing smirk on Raj’s face.

“I was just drinking with Magnus. Will you guys chill?”

“Just drinking?” Jace joined in as he leaned his hip against the counter.

“Not you too Jace,” Alec rolled his eyes as his brother casually shrugged and took a swig of his own drink.

“Come on Alec, it’s been almost an hour and a half since you disappeared. At least give us credit for waiting for you like the good siblings we are!”

Alec picked up and took a big gulp of beer before confessing, “Magnus gave me a lap dance.”

There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose and Jace, Clary and Isabelle talked over each other trying to get Alec to talk more. Even Elias and Raj seemed shocked at his admission.

“What’s wrong?” Alec was genuinely confused; didn’t Magnus say he had given them often enough and weren’t that what all the booths up there were for?

“Well, nothing’s wrong, considering that this is a strip club. But that’s only where dancers are involved,” Elias piped up, amusement in his tone.

‘Not when the owner is,” Clary completed the sentence with a smirk of her own.

Blood roared through Alec’s veins as everything clicked into realisation. He reached back to fish out Magnus’ name card and there it was, silently laughing at him for not realising that Magnus freaking Bane was the owner of the place he was currently sitting in. Alec stuffed the name card back in his pocket and groaned, placing his face in his palms, “That explains so much.”

Everyone was already rolling over with laughter and there were traces of tears in Isabelle’s eyes, Jace was bent over the counter and Clary was slapping him on his arms as she leaned on him for support.

“I can’t believe you didn’t know that! I introduced him when he first came over, didn’t I?” Clary asked after she calmed herself down, cheeks slightly pink from laughing too hard.

“I’m sure Alec was too distracted; it’s not every day you get a gorgeous man flirting with you, much less the owner of the club at that. Isn’t that right, big bro?”

“So how was that lap dance? Hey, don’t look at me like that, you can’t just tell us that and expect us to back off!” Jace looked indignant and Alec wanted to punch that smug grin off his brother’s face but his face was beginning to flush as he recalled the night, “Magnus is uh, quite magical.”

Elias chuckled as he said, “Like Raj was saying, he’s probably the best dancer on the scene. Worked his way up to the top and left to set up his own club. Many of us respect him for his tenacity and that’s why we followed him here. He’s a great guy and we love him,” but he leaned towards the counter and narrowed his eyes a little at Alec, “But he hasn’t had the best of luck with relationships. So, if this is just a one-off thing to you, you better end it off right here before –”

“Absolutely not. I-I know I’ve only met him for a while but I feel like something’s there. I can’t explain it, but I promise, I’m taking this seriously too. I asked him out on a date and he agreed, so we’ll take it from there, I guess,” Alec was sure it was the liquor talking but it seemed to satisfy Elias as he nodded and backed up towards Raj, who was smiling at him from behind the counter.

“Alec, I’m so proud of you,” Isabelle took his hands and gave him an endearing look, before her smile turned devious and she added, “But you’ll have to tell me when you’re going on this date. I’m picking out your outfit for you. No negotiations, you owe me that much for bringing you here tonight.”

Alec groaned inwardly but he felt anticipation sing in his veins as he recalled the name card snug in his back pocket and the promise of a date and more to come.

**Author's Note:**

> Hence the stripper/non-stripper AU, heh. I appreciate all feedback, come at me, I'm a big girl, I can take it!


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